Toys and rack actuating means therefor



Jan. 18, 1966 H. K. BROSS ,229,413

TOYS AND RACK ACTUATIN'G MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 11, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet l KNVENTOR HELMUT KARL BROSS ATTORN EY Jan. 18, 1966 H. K. BROSS TOYS AND RACK ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 IIIWIIIII/IITIYIIIIII% FIG.?

FIGS

FIGS? FIGH m w m m HELMUT KARL BROS S Jan. 18, 1966 H. K. BROSS 3,229,413

TOYS AND RACK ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 11, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1N VEN TOR.

HELMUT KARL BROSS Jan. 18, 1966 H. K. BROSS TOYS AND RACK ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INVENTOR.

HE LM UT KARL BROS S fil -Ty Jan. 18, 1966 H. K. BROSS 3,229,413

TOYS AND RACK ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 11, 1963 Sheets-Sheet 5 q I l l I7? we :7? I76 I84 I [In I88 I74 85 5 4 18o 173 v I87 1 il I72 INVENTOR.

HELM UT KARL BROSS F/WWW United States Patent 3,229,413 TOYS AND RACK ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR Helmut Karl Brass, Altenberg uber Nurnberg, Germany, assignor of fifty percent to Frank T. Johmann, Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,432 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 12, 1962, B 6559?; Dec. 15, 1962, B 69,992 9 Claims. (Cl. 46-67) This invention relates to toys. Particularly, the invention relates to toys including a flywheel connected to a pinion gear, a rack engageable with said pinion gear, and guide means for guiding said rack while in engagement with said pinion gear, whereby longitudinal movement of said rack is converted into rotational energy stored in said flywheel.

The present invention is widely applicable to a wide variety of toys which use rotational energy for their drive, including so-called flying saucers, airplanes, boats, space rockets, wheeled vehicles such as toy autos, tops, etc. The present invention provides simple, economical, durable, fool-proof toys, easily operated with a minimum of instruction or skill and which can be economically molded in plastic. In addition, the present toys overcome many of the disadvantages of prior toys. For example, prior flying saucer types of toys generally consist of many fragile and delicate parts, including a pull-string, which is pulled out against the pressure of a rubber band or spring which returns the pull string to its original position at the end of the operating stroke. For example, one flying saucer of conventional construction is made up of eleven individual parts, requiring six factory assembly steps to put the parts together. Flying saucers prepared according to the present invention can be made in as few as three injection molded parts, requiring no factory assembly. At the same time, the flight performance of the flying saucers of the invention is superior to that of prior flying saucers, since there is no return spring or rubber band involved, whose force has to be overcome during the operating stroke. Thus, flying saucers of the present invention are capable of higher and more extended flight since all the energy of the operating stroke goes into spinning the saucer. The same remarks apply to other flying toys which are launched by a launcher.

The invention will be further understood by reference to the following descriptions and other drawings, which include a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a rear elevational view of a flying saucer launcher in detachable engagement with a flying saucer shown as partly broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the launcher of FIGURE 1 partly in cross-section.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the other side of the launcher of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a top view, on a reduced scale, of the plastic rack that can be used with the launcher of FIG- URES 1 to 4.

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational view of another flying saucer and launcher of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a top view taken along the lines 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along the lines 88 of FIGURE 6.

3,229,413 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 "ice FIGURE 11 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a toy rocket that can be used with the launcher of FIG- URES 1 to 5.

FIGURE 12 is a side View, partly in cross-section of a horizontally flying airplane.

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view taken along the lines 1313 of FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 14 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a toy helicopter.

FIGURE 15 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a toy which can be used as a racing boat or a rocket plane.

FIGURE 16 is a side view, partly in cross-section of a toy motor boat.

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of the back end of a toy boat.

FIGURE 18 represents a sectional view of a toy vehicle, for example a toy auto.

FIGURE 19 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a whistling top.

FIGURE 20 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a top.

FIGURE 21 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a gyroscopic top.

FIGURE 22 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of an erratic rolling toy.

FIGURE 23 is a front view of another flying saucer and launcher of the invention.

FIGURE 24 is a back view, partly in cross-section, of the launcher of FIGURE 23.

FIGURE 25 is a top view, on a reduced scale of the rack of FIGURES 23 and 24.

Reference is now made in detail to the embodiment of FIGURES 1 to 5. Here, a flying saucer launcher has the molded plastic body 1, which serves for a hand-grip, strengthened by bracing ribs 2, and formed with the upper transversely extending walls 3, 4, and 5, and the small wall 6. The one-piece pinion includes the gear teeth 7, the collar 8, and the column 9 terminating in the pin 10 having a rectangular cross-section. Beneath the gear teeth 7, the pinion shaft has a reduced diameter at 11, and terminates in the frustro-conical section 12. The pinion is assembled to the body 1, simply by pressing the pinion through apertures formed in ribs 3, 4, and 5 since both the pinion and the launcher body are conventionally molded of slightly resilient plastic, the frustroconical portion 12 can be forced through the smaller diameter aperture in wall 5, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. In this manner, the pinion will be held against longitudinal movement relative to the body 1 by means of the collar 8 and the frustro-conical portion 12, while at the same time the pinion is readily rotatable relative to the launcher body 1. The detachable flying saucer per se is of conventional construction and has the hub 13 and the propelling vanes 14 terminating in the outer ring 15. The nose piece 16 is fixed to hub 13, and internally defines a blind bore 17 having a rectangular cross-section which is complementary to the pin 10. The rack 18, preferably molded of a tough slightly resilient plastic, is formed with a series of gear teeth 19, complementary to the gear teeth 7 of the pinion gear. The outer end of the rack 18 is provided with the handle 19'. To operate, the front end of the rack 18 is simply pushed through the open back end of the launcher, while being guided by the ribs 4 and 6. As the rack 18 is pushed into the launcher body 1, its teeth 19 will mesh with the gear teeth 7, thus rotating the entire pinion member in a clockwise movement (when viewed from the top). The rack 18 is pushed through the front opening 20, being guided along by the inner lip 21, until the handle 19' is pushed in as close to the body 1 as is convenient. The flying saucer per se is then loosely engaged with coupling pin 10 as shown in FIGURE 1. The launcher body or handle 1, is then held firmly with one hand, while the child rapidly pulls the flexible rack 18 away from the body by means of the handle 19. This causes a rapid rotation of the pinion teeth 7, which rotation is transferred to the flying saucer per se and momentum is stored in ring 15. During this pulling out movement, the flying saucer per se will remain in contact with the coupling pin 10 due to a light frictional engagement of the pin 10 against the side walls which define the bore 17. However, this frictional engagement ceases once the rack 18 is pulled completely out from engagement with pinion teeth 7, whereupon the flying saucer per se will rise vertically off the launcher into flight.

FIGURES 6 to 9 represent an even more simple form of the launcher and saucer which requires only three molded pieces and no factory assembly. Here, the channel-shaped launcher body 23 has the bracing ribs 24. Extending upwardly from and integral with the end wall 27 of the launcher body, is the cylindrical pin 25. A removable rack 26, having slanted teeth 28, is inserted into the body 23 where it is held against longitudinal movement by the wall 27 and the transversely extending hook 22. The flying saucer per se 29 has the hollow tubular hub 30 which freely slides over the pin 25 during assembly for launching. The lower portion of the hub 30, is formed with the slanting gear teeth 31 which mesh with teeth 28. The bottom end of hub 30 simply abuts the top side of wall 27. The device, as shown assembled for launching in FIGURES 6 and 7, is readily actuated by rapidly pulling the rack 26 out from body 23 so as to rapidly spin the shaft 30. Due to the slanting pitch of the meshing teeth 31 and 28, the saucer 29 cannot pull free of engagement of the rack 26 until said rack 26 is pulled completely out of engagement with the teeth 31. Once this happens, the now rapidly rotating flying saucer 29 will now lift free, up and olf, of the cylindrical pin 25 and be launched into flight.

FIGURE 10 represents a flying saucer including a toy space satellite. The saucer has the square crosssectional bore 32 for engagement with a coupling pin, such as pin 10 of the launcher of FIGURES 1 to 5. The cylindrical hub 33 is connected with the outer flywheel rim 35 by means of the blades or vanes 34. Rotatable on the hub 33, is the satellite portion 36 having the inner hub 37. The upper portion of the cylinder 33 is inset inwardly to define the cylindrical pin 38 terminating in the cone 39 which holds the satellite 36 in loose engagement abutting the annular shoulder 40 of cylinder 33. To launch, the aperture 32 is fitted upon the complementary pin 10 of the launcher of FIGURES 1 to 5, and the rack 18 of said launcher, is rapidly pulled through the launcher whereupon the now rapidly rotating vanes 34 will lift the flying saucer and satellite assembly into flight.

FIGURE 11 illustrates a toy rocket ship 41 having air inlets 42 and air outlets 43, while its lower tubular body portion is internally formed with a series of tilted flat vanes 44. This rocket toy can be utilized with the launcher of FIGURES 1 to by inserting the pin of said launcher into the complementary blind aperture 45 in the bottom of the rocket body. As the launcher is actuated so as to rapidly spin the rocket 41, it will lift into flight due to the fan action of its vanes 44, drawing in air through inlets 42 while discharging an air stream through apertures 43.

In FIGURES 12 and 13, the toy airplane has a fuselage 46, which serves as a handle, defining apertures 47 and 48 for insertion of the cone 49 fixed to the pinion 50 by the shaft 51. The pinion 50 is freely rotatable within the apertures 47, 48, 52 and 53, while its forward end extends through the aperture 53 in the front end of the fuselage. The front end of the pinion includes the propeller hub 54 from which extend the propeller blades 55, Whose outer ends are joined by the energy storing flywheel element 56. The removable flexible rack 57 is inserted between guide walls 58 and 59 so as to extend through the fuselage 46 while its teeth 60 mesh with the complementary teeth 61 of the pinion. To launch, the airplane is gripped at the grooved or roughened surface 62, while the rack 57 is rapidly pulled out from the fuselage 46 to thereby rapidly rotate the pinion gear 50 so as to spin the propeller 55 and the energystoring rim 56. Once the rack 57 is pulled completely through the fuselage 46, the plane can then be released into flight.

FIGURE 14 shows a toy helicopter having the body 64 which serves as a handle which rotatably supports the shaft 65 whose lower end defines the pinion gear teeth 72, while its upper end carries the propeller blades 66 terminating in the energy storing flywheel 67. Annular flanges 68 maintain the shaft 65 journaled to the fuselage 64 while the apertured rib 69 journals the lower portion of said shaft 65. Rectangular openings 70, formed on each side of the fuselage, act as guides for the insertion of the toothed rack, for example the toothed rack 18 of the embodiment of FIGURES 1 to 5, for engagement with the pinion teeth 72 of the shaft 65. By rapidly pulling the previously inserted toothed rack through the slots 70, the shaft 65 is rapidly turned and the rotational momentum of the shaft 65, its blades 66 and the ring 67 will carry the toy into fllight after the rack is pulled free of the helicopter and the helicopter is released. The tail 71 acts to prevent rotation of the body 64 during flight.

FIGURE 15 shows a toy which can be used either as a rocket plane or a racing boat. The toy plane or boat has a hollow hull 73, serving as a handle a stabilizing fin 74, short stabilizing fins or wings 75, and the pilots canopy 76. Fixed to the rear of the tubular hull 73, is the shaft 77 terminating in the flat vane 78. Freely rotatable on cylindrical shaft 77, is the tubular drive or pinion shaft 79, defining spaced splines or gear teeth 80 and the propeller blades 81 terminating in the momentum-storing flywheel 82. A flexible plastic toothed rack 83, for example a rack of the type of FIGURE 5, is inserted and guided into meshed engagement with teeth 80 by the side walls 84 and 85 defined by flat vane 78. Upon rapidly drawing the toothed rack 83 across the pinion gear teeth 80, and free of the boat, the flywheel 82 and blades 81 are set into rapid spinning motion, so that upon subsequent setting of the craft into water, the spinning propellers 81 will propel the craft. Similarly, the craft can be pointed upwardly and launched into flight as a plane.

FIGURE 16 shows a toy boat having a hollow hull which rotatably carries the shaft 91 whose lower end carries the propeller blade 92, while its upper end carries the pinion gear 93. A heavy flywheel 94, fixed to shaft 91, stores the rotational energy imparted by rapidly drawing the removable toothed rack 95 out from the boat while in engagement with the gear teeth of the pinion gear 93. The hull 90 can be molded so as to define the guide sides 96 and 97 for guiding the tooth rack 95 while either being inserted into or pulled out of meshing engagement with pinion gear 93.

In FIGURE 17, the toy boat has the hull 100 which carries the rotatable shaft 101 having fixed to its inner end, the flywheel 102. Fixed to the outer end of said shaft 101, is the pinion gear 103, carrying the propeller 104. By pulling the inserted removable toothed rack 105 between its guide walls 106 and 107, while contacting the meshing gear teeth 108, the shaft 101 is set into rapid spinning motion. Once the rack 195 is completely withdrawn, then upon setting the craft into water 109, it will be propelled forward until the momentum of the flywheel 102 is lost.

In FIGURE 18, a toy vehicle, for example a simple four-wheel cart, has the body into whose sides is journaled the shaft 111 whose outer ends are fixed to the wheels 112 while its inner portion has fixed thereto a pinion gear 113. The toothed rack 114 is inserted into engagement with gear 113, while being guided into alignment therewith by the sides 115 and 116 of the guide member 117 fixed to the bottom of the main body 110. Upon pulling the inserted rack 114 rapidly out of engagement with pinion 113, the rotational energy is stored in wheels 112 which may carry the extra heavy annular rings 118. By then placing the toy on a surface, it will be driven forwardly by its rotating wheels 112 until all its momentum is lost.

FIGURE 19 illustrates a whistling top which spins about its pointed cone 121), while air is drawn through vents 122 formed in the hollow body 121 to create a whistling sound by the vanes 123 and the whistle element 124. Extending upwardly from the top of body 121, is the cylindrical shaft 125 whose upper end terminates in the cone 126. A pinion gear 127 is fixed on the shaft 125, while the handle 128 is rotatable about shaft 125. Handle 128 defines the straight guide walls 129 and 130 which extend through handle 128 and guide the flexible toothed rack 131 into engagement with pinion gear 127. To operate, the handle 128 is held in one hand while pressing the cone 120 against a rigid surface. Then the previously inserted rack 131 is rapidly pulled through handle 128 and across the teeth 127 until free of the toy, whereupon the handle 123 is released as the toy spins. Here the body 121 serves as the energy storing flywheel.

FIGURE 20 represents a simple conical top having fixed to its upper end the pinion gear 141 which loosely carries between its shoulders 142 and 143 the annular member 144. Guide sides 145 and 146 extend straight through member 144 and align the drive rack 147 into meshed engagement with pinion gear 141. Upon rapidly pulling the previously inserted rack 147 through the holder 144, while holding member 144 the top 141 is set into rapid spinning motion relative to holder 144 and can then be set on a floor. Here, the top body 140 serves as the energy storing flywheel.

In FIGURE 21, the gyroscopic-type toy has the ring 150 which carries the fixed handle 151, and the fixed supporting ring 152. Rotatable within, and journaled in, the handle 151 and the ring 156, is the freely rotatable shaft 153 having fixed thereto the flywheel 154 while its lower portion defines the pinion gear teeth 155. The previously inserted removable rack 156 is aligned with gear teeth 155 by the hooked member 157. Then upon rapidly pulling the rack 156 out of its meshed engagement, the pinion gear 155 and its flywheel 154 are rapidly set in spinning motion whereupon the top can be set upon a rigid flat surface, e.g. a floor, for spinning.

In FIGURE 22, the erratic rolling toy has the heavy roller journaled in the smaller roller 161. The previously inserted removable toothed rack 162, when pulled across the pinion gear 163, will set the roller 160 rotating relative to roller 161 so that upon laying the toy on a floor, it will erratically roll due to the assymetry of the conical portion 161 of the smaller roller.

The invention is further illustrated by FIGURES 23 to 25 showing an embodiment wherein designates the holder having the depressions 171 and 172. The flexible toothed rack 173 has the teeth 174 directed towards the interior. 175 is the flywheel proper. FIGURE 24 is a back view of the holder according to FIGURE 23. The flywheel proper has the fly ring 176 fixed to the driving axis 177, e.g., made as a single piece with this axis. The

driving axis 177 can be inserted into the bearing or mounting holes 178 and 179 and several guiding wall elements 180 facilitate the insertion or mounting. The driving axis 177 has the pinion portion 181 which cooperates with the teeth members 174 of the rack in the inserted position. The guiding elements 183, in the form of oblong guiding wall parts which are perpendicular to axis 17, hold the toothed rack in the proper position and prevent it from twisting. The guide opening thus formed communicates with a shaft opening 184 through a resilient yielding snap tooth 185. This second opening 184 is opened to the outside.

At one end, the toothed rack 173 has the handle 186 and at the other end has the hook shaped stopping element 187. In front of the handle 186 and the stop element 187, there may be a thin section 188 which does not have teeth and which facilitates the engagement of the toothed rack. The toothed rack is used by inserting its back end into the opening 184 and pressing it into the guide opening or channel past the element 185. The teeth members of the rack and of the pinion are slanted so that a force component holding the pinion and propeller down is developed when the rack is pulled out.

I claim:

1. A toy consisting of an energy-storing rotatable element, :1 body constituting a handle defining body walls, a pinion shaft rotatably mounted on said body and supported by said body walls and having an end adapted for loose detachable engagement with said rotatable element, gear teeth defined by said pinion shaft, guide surfaces defined by said body Walls proximate said gear teeth, and a flexible plastic toothed rack having teeth for engagement with said gear teeth, said rack being insertable between said guide surfaces, through said body and into engagement with said gear teeth, said rack when pulled outwardly relative said body rapidly rotating said pinion shaft.

2. A toy comprising: a handle having an open back and including side walls, a front wall defining an opening, and a pair of parallel upper walls integral with said front and side walls; a shaft extending through and rotatably supported by said upper walls and defining a pinion gear proximate its lower end and within said handle and having an outer end; guide surfaces defined by and integral with said handle in the shape of a channel proximate said pinion gear; a flying saucer detachably engageable with said outer end of said shaft; and an elongated flexible plastic rack having a series of teeth in at least one side of said rack, said rack being insertable from said open back and between said guide surfaces into positive engage ment wherein said teeth mesh with said pinion gear and said rack extends through said opening.

3. A toy according to claim 2, wherein said rack has a long body in a shape defining an arc with a series of inwardly projecting teeth extending over the major portion of said body, said rack including a handle at one end thereof, said body being smooth and bare of teeth proximate said handle to facilitate gripping said handle.

4. A toy comprising a momentum-energy-storing rotatable element, a member serving as a handle defining walls, a pinion shaft rotatably mounted on said member and rotatably supported by at least one of said walls, said shaft having an end outside of said member and engageable with said rotatable element for conjoint rotation, gear teeth defined by said pinion shaft, guide surfaces defined by said walls of said member proximate said gear teeth, and a flexible plastic rack having a series of teeth on at least one side of said rack for meshing toothed engagement with said gear teeth, said rack being insertable between said guide surfaces, through said member and into engagement with said gear teeth, said rack when pulled outwardly relative to said handle rapidly rotating said pinion shaft to thereby store momentum in said rotatable element.

5. A toy according to claim 4, wherein said rotatable 7 element is a flying saucer which is detachably engageable with said end.

6. A toy according to claim 4, wherein said rotatable element is a top.

7. A toy according to claim 4, wherein said rotatable element is a toy rocket including a tubular body defining air inlets and air outlets, and having vanes fixed within said body adapted to suck in air through said inlets and discharge it through said outlets upon rapid rotation of said tubular body.

8. A toy according to claim 4, wherein said member serving as a handle is in the form of a toy helicopter and said rotatable element is a propeller fixedly engageable with said end of said shaft.

9. A toy according to claim 4, wherein said member serving as a handle is in the form of a toy airplane includ- 8 ing a fuselage carrying wings and a tail, and said rotatable element is a propeller fixed to said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,446 3/ 1904 Butcher 4667 X 1,174,95 1 3/ 1916 Townsley 4683 FOREIGN PATENTS 331,660 7/1930 Great Britain. 660,517 11/ 1951 Great Britain. 743,102 1/ 1956 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. J. BOVASSO, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A TOY COMPRISING A MOMENTUM-ENERGY-STORING ROTATABLE ELEMENT, A MEMBER SERVING AS A HANDLE DEFINING WALLS, A PINION SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MEMBER AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WALLS, SAID SHAFT HAVING AN END OUTSIDE OF SAID MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ROTATABLE ELEMENT FOR CONJOINT ROTATION, GEAR TEETH DEFINED BY SAID PINION SHAFT, GUIDE SURFACES DEFINED BY SAID WALLS OF SAID MEMBER PROXIMATE SAID GEAR TEETH, AND A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC RACK HAVING A SERIES OF TEETH ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE OF SAID RACK FOR MESHING TOOTHED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR TEETH, SAID RACK BEING INSERTABLE BETWEEN SAID GUIDE SURFACES, THROUGH SAID MEMBER AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR TEETH, SAID RACK WHEN PULLED OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID HANDLE RAPIDLY ROTATING SAID PINION SHAFT TO THEREBY STORE MOMENTUM IN SAID ROTATABLE ELEMENT. 